Alabama Soil and Water Blog Spot

  This is one of the last pictures I made of Earl at the recent Clear Water Alabama Event in Northport.   This TIP may be a little longer than most, but please spend the time to read it.    As all of you probably know by now, Earl Norton passed away Saturday morning.  He worked every day to promote and improve the land. And as usual, he woke up early that day to travel to his forest and plant green fields for the upcoming deer season.  He loved that forest and always wanted to show it to his friends and others. As with everything Earl did, his forest was a showcase of proper forest management.  Saturday morning Earl had made his coffee, prepared materials to go to the forest, and was getting ready to depart when he died.  Earl Norton left a huge void with his family, church, and conservation world. I had the opportunity and blessing to work with Earl throughout my career with NRCS and after retirement with the Alabama Erosion and Sediment Control ...

  “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate”. IYKYK The installers were told to wrap the ends of the Type B silt fence, and they did. Just not together. Just another reminder that Communication is the First Pillar of Construction Stormwater Management. _________________________________________________ Thanks to all the recent Clear Water Alabama Sponsors.  They helped to make this another great event.

  The inlet of flumes or chutes should be oversized to ensure the runoff stays in the concentrated flow area.  This ensures the transition from sub-critical to critical flow occurs in a protected area. The red line indicates the cross-section of what the inlet should look like.  The lack of side slopes and a pile of rock forcing the flow to one side has resulted in this rock chute needing a big repair.   Perry L Oakes, PE Alabama’s Erosion and Sediment Control Program Manager

  In the Erosion and Sediment Control world we often say that “Green is Good and Sediment S___s”.  Isn’t it just amazing what a little patch of common bermudagrass has done in this bare and eroding road ditch.  Wouldn’t it be great if the entire road ditch was vegetated?   Perry L Oakes, PE Alabama’s Erosion and Sediment Control Program Manager

  Many of you have heard my presentation “It’s All About the Roots”.  Here are 2 slopes that were both shaped, tracked, and hydroseeded.  The only difference between the two is that the near slope had a few weeks for the seed to grow and roots to start becoming established.  The far slope was hydroseeded the day before a torrential rain event.  It’s All About the Roots (and timing of course) .  ________________________________________ Early Bird Deadline  for Clear Water Alabama Registration is August 15 th . For meeting information: https://alabamasoilandwater.gov/alesc-clearwater/   To register or become a sponsor: https://www.alabamastormwater.org/clear-water-alabama     Perry L Oakes, PE Alabama’s Erosion and Sediment Control Program Manager

  A Sediment Basin struggles enough to capture sediment from the construction stormwater and to reduce turbidity, it should not have to deal with erosion generated AT the sediment basin too.  Runoff into the basin should be stable and the slopes should be covered.   Perry L Oakes, PE Alabama’s Erosion and Sediment Control Program Manager